(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device and a method for controlling a running mode of a hybrid vehicle, and more specifically, to a device and method for controlling a running mode of a hybrid vehicle based on actual power consumption.
(b) Description of the Related Art
A hybrid vehicle is a type of vehicle that uses two or more different types of power sources, and generally is driven by an engine that obtains a driving torque by burning a fuel and a motor that obtains a driving torque with battery power. The hybrid vehicle can be provided with the optimum output torque based on how the engine and the motor are operated while the vehicles are driven by the two power sources, that is, the engine and the motor.
A running mode of the hybrid vehicle includes an electric vehicle (EV) mode that uses the power from the motor, and a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) mode using the torque from the engine as the main power and the torque from the motor as sub-power. The hybrid vehicle is capable of converting the EV mode into the HEV mode based on various conditions. In particular, the hybrid vehicle converts the EV mode into the HEV mode using a driving demand power being mechanical power. However, the mechanical power supplied by the battery is difficult to calculate, and an error may be generated according to motor efficiency and a load amount. Additionally, when the running mode is changed by the driving demand power, a temporary output shortage of the driving torque occurs, causing drivability to potentially be deteriorated.
The above information disclosed in this section is merely for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.